Philadelphia Veterans Stadium (informally called
"The Vet") was a professional sports
facilityA modern stadium is a place, or venue, for outdoor sports, concerts or other events, consisting of a field or stage partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.-History of the stadium:The word originates from the Greek word...
located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in Philadelphia,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
as part of the
South Philadelphia Sports ComplexThe South Philadelphia Sports Complex is the current home to Philadelphia's sports teams...
. It housed the
Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
from 1971 through 2002 and the
National LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league...
's
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are the defending World Series champions. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern...
from 1971 through 2003. The listed capacity for baseball in 1971 was 56,371 and for football was listed with a 62,000 seat capacity. The 1976 and 1996
Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
s were held at the venue. The Vet also hosted the annual Army-Navy
footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
game 17 times, first in 1976 and last in 2001. In addition, numerous concerts were performed here by artists ranging from
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
and
GenesisGenesis are a Grammy Award-winning English rock band formed in 1967, and are among the top 30 highest-selling recording artists of all time with approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide, including 21.5 million albums sold in the United States. In 1988, the band won the Grammy Award for Best...
to
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
and
Pink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band who, in the late 1960s, earned recognition for their psychedelic and space rock music, and in the 1970s, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd's work is marked by philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art,...
(on their final US tour in 1994). The venue also played host to religious events from annual Jehovah's Witnesses conventions to a Billy Graham crusade in 1992.
History
Following the move of the
Philadelphia AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the Oakland Coliseum....
to
Kansas CityKansas City Municipal Stadium was a baseball and football stadium that formerly stood in Kansas City, Missouri. It hosted the minor league Kansas City Blues of the American Association from 1923 to 1954, the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues during most of the same time, the Kansas City...
10-years beforeThe Philadelphia Athletics' 1954 season involved the A's finishing 8th in the American League with a record of 51 wins and 103 losses, 60 games behind AL Champion Cleveland in their 54th and final season in Philadelphia, before moving to Kansas City, MO for the following season.- Offseason :*...
and a fear of losing another professional sports franchise, Philadelphia voters approved a $25 million bond issue for a new stadium in 1964 to replace the dilapidated Shibe Park (opened in 1909) and
Franklin FieldFranklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
. The vote had to go to the polls yet again in 1967 and approve another $13 million due to cost overruns. At a total cost of $50 million, it was one of the most expensive ballparks to date.
The stadium was named by Philadelphia's City Council for the veterans of all wars in 1968. As early as December 1969, the Phillies expected that they would play at Connie Mack Stadium in April 1970 and begin play at Veterans Stadium in May 1970. However, the opening was delayed a year due to a combination of bad weather and cost overruns. The stadium's design was nearly circular, and was known as an "octorad" design, which attempted to facilitate both football and baseball, unfortunately, as was the case with other cities in which this so-called "cookie-cutter" approach was employed (Washington,
New YorkWilliam A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium located in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, Houston,
AtlantaAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-use stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia. Completed in a then-record 50 weeks for $18 million, it opened in the spring of 1965 as Atlanta Stadium...
,
St. LouisBusch Memorial Stadium, later known as Busch Stadium, was the home of the St. Louis Cardinals National League baseball team from May 12, 1966 to October 19, 2005....
,
San DiegoQualcomm Stadium , formerly known as San Diego Stadium and Jack Murphy Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in San Diego, California. It is the current home of the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League and of the San Diego State University Aztecs college football team...
, Cincinnati, and
PittsburghThree Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
), the fundamentally different shapes of the playing fields made the stadium inadequate to the needs of either sport.
The Phillies played their first game at the Vet on Saturday, April 10, 1971. The Phils beat the
Montreal ExposThe Montreal Expos is the name of a Major League Baseball team that was located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1969 until the end of the 2004 season, when the team was moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Nationals....
, 4–1, before 55,352. Hall of Famer
Jim BunningJames Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American politician and former pitcher in Major League Baseball.Bunning pitched in the Major Leagues for 17 seasons, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career strikeouts in...
was the winning pitcher while
Bill StonemanWilliam Hambly Stoneman III is a consultant for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. From 1999 to October 15, 2007, he served as the general manager of the Angels...
took the loss. Boots Day opened the game by grounding out to Bunning.
Larry BowaLawrence Robert Bowa is a former middle infielder, playing mainly as a shortstop, and manager in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies...
had the stadium's first hit and
Don MoneyDonald Wayne Money is a former major league baseball player and current minor league manager. Money spent most of his career as a third baseman. He batted and threw right-handed. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers...
the first home run.
The final football game played at the Vet was the Eagles' 27–10 loss to the
Tampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are aprofessional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team, along with the Seattle Seahawks, joined the NFL in as expansion teams...
in the NFC Championship game on January 19, 2003. The Eagles moved into
Lincoln Financial FieldLincoln Financial Field, familiarly known as "The Linc", is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532...
in August 2003.
The final game ever played at the stadium was on September 28, 2003. The Phillies lost to the Atlanta Braves that afternoon, but a ceremony that followed pulled at the heartstrings of the sellout crowd. Both former general manager
Paul OwensPaul Francis Owens was an American front office executive and manager in Major League Baseball.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
and pitcher
Tug McGrawFrank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and is the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw...
made their final public appearances at the park that day. Later that winter, both men died., The last publicly-broadcast words ever uttered in the park were by veteran announcer the late
Harry KalasHarry Norbert Kalas was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies...
, who helped open the facility on April 10, 1971, paraphrasing his trademark home run call: "And now, Veterans Stadium is like a 3-1 pitch to
Jim ThomeJames Howard "Jim" Thome is a Major League Baseball First Baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers.-Cleveland Indians:...
or
Mike SchmidtMichael Jack Schmidt is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....
. It's on a looooooong drive...IT'S OUTTA HERE!!!" The team moved into
Citizens Bank ParkCitizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004 and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
in 2004, with the first game being played there on April 12, 2004.
The ultimate end for the 33-year old stadium came with a record-setting (62 seconds) implosion on March 21, 2004. Frank Bardonaro, President of Philadelphia based AmQuip Crane Rental Company pressed the "charge" button and Nick Peetros, Project Manager for Driscoll/Hunt Construction Company pressed the "fire" button to implode the stadium while
Greg LuzinskiGregory Michael "The Bull" Luzinski is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball.Born in Chicago, Illinois, he attended Notre Dame High School in Niles, Illinois...
pressed an imaginary plunger for the fans. A parking lot for the current sporting facilities was constructed in 2004 and 2005 at the site. On June 6, 2005, the anniversary of
D-DayD-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, a plaque and monument to commemorate the spot where the stadium stood and a memorial for all veterans was dedicated by the Phillies before their game against the
Arizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. On September 28 of that same year, the second anniversary of the final game, a historical marker commemorating where the ballpark once stood was dedicated. Granite spaces marking the former locations of home plate, the pitching mound, and the three bases for baseball, as well as the goalpost placements for football, were added onto the parking lot in April 2006 in western parking lot U.
Stadium Features
Veterans Stadium was a complicated structure, its seating layered in seven separate levels. The lowest, or "100 Level," extended only part way around the structure, between roughly the 25-yard lines for football games and near the two dugouts for baseball. The "200 Level" comprised field-level boxes, and the "300 Level" housed what were labeled "Terrace Boxes. " These three levels collectively made up the "Lower Stands." The "400 Level" was reserved for the press and dignitaries; the upper level began with "500 Level" (or "Loge Boxes"), the "600 Level" (Upper reserved, or individual seats), and finally, the infamous "
700 LevelThe 700 Level referred to the seats in the upper deck of Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Usually the most rowdy fans were there, especially at Philadelphia Eagles games and to a lesser extent Philadelphia Phillies games...
" (General Admission for baseball), where some of the most passionate sports fans on the
East CoastThe East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard", refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada...
could be found. Originally, the seats were in shades of brown, terra cotta, orange and yellow, to look like an autumn day, but in 1995 and 1996, blue seats replaced the fall-hued ones.
At one time, the stadium could seat almost 71,000 people for football, but restructuring in the late 1980s brought capacity down to around 66,000.
The stadium was harshly criticized by baseball purists. Even by "cookie-cutter" standards, the upper deck was exceptionally high, and many of the seats in that area were so far from the field that it was difficult to see the game without binoculars. As was the case in most cookie-cutter stadiums, foul territory was quite roomy. While the Vet's size enabled the Phillies to shatter previous attendance records, during the years the Phillies weren't doing as well even crowds of 35,000 looked sparse. Approximately 70 percent of the seats were in foul territory, adding to the Vet's cavernous feel. There was no dirt in the infield except for sliding pits around the bases. In the autumn, the football markings were clearly visible in the spacious outfield area.
The Vet had been known for providing both the Eagles and the Phillies with great home-field advantage. In particular, the acoustics greatly enhanced the crowd noise on the field, making it nearly impossible for opposing teams to hear one another.
Playing surface
The field's surface, originally composed of
AstroTurfAstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Though the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf...
, contained many gaps and uneven patches. In several places, seams were clearly visible, giving it the nickname "Field of Seams." It perennially drew the ranking of the "NFL's worst field" in player surveys conducted by the NFL Players Association, and visiting players often fell prey to the treacherous conditions resulting in numerous injuries. The NFLPA reportedly threatened to sue the city for the poor conditions, and many sports agents told the Eagles not to even consider signing or drafting their clients. The Eagles, for their part, complained to the city on numerous occasions about the conditions at the stadium. Baseball players also complained about the surface. It was much harder than other AstroTurf surfaces, and the shock of running on it often caused back pain.
Two of the most publicized injuries blamed on the playing surface occurred exactly six years apart. October 10, 1993: Bears receiver
Wendell DavisWendell Tyrone Davis is a former professional American football wide receiver who played for the Chicago Bears for six seasons from 1988 to 1993. He was selected by the Bears in the 1st round in the 1988 NFL Draft. In his pro career, Davis played in 81 games, catching 207 receptions for 3,000...
had his cleat get caught in a seam while running a simple pass route. He tore both of his
patellaThe patella, also known as the knee cap or kneepan, is a thick, circular-triangular bone which articulates with the femur and covers and protects the knee joint. It is the largest sesamoid bone in the human body. It is attached to the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle, which contracts to...
tendonA tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fascia as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fascia connect muscles to other...
s, ending his career. On October 10, 1999,
Michael IrvinMichael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. He is regarded as one of the most successful wide receivers in the history of the National Football League...
suffered a neck injury that led to his premature retirement (The previously winless Eagles rallied from a 10–0 deficit and won 13–10).
The original AstroTurf was eventually replaced by a new surface, NexTurf, in 2001. The new surface was far softer, and reportedly much easier on the knees. However, the city crew that installed the new turf reportedly didn't install it properly, resulting in seams being visible in several places.
The first football game on the new turf was due to take place on August 13, 2001 when the Eagles played the
Baltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They compete in the AFC North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. However, Ravens coach
Brian BillickBrian Harold Billick is a National Football League game analyst for Fox. He was previously an NFL coach, most recently with the Baltimore Ravens from January 19, 1999 to December 31, 2007....
refused to let the Ravens take the field for warm-ups when he discovered a trench around an area where third base was covered up by a NexTurf cutout. City crews tried to fix the problem to no avail, forcing the game to be canceled. Later, players from both teams reported that they sunk into the turf in locations near the infield cutouts. Team president
Joe BannerJoe Banner is a President/Chief Operating Officer for the Philadelphia Eagles. He studied economics at Denison University in Ohio...
was irate after the game, calling the Vet's conditions "absolutely unacceptable" and "an embarrassment to the city of Philadelphia." City officials, however, promised that the stadium would be suitable for play when the regular season started.
The problem was caused by heavy rain over the weekend prior to the game, which made the dirt in the sliding pits and pitcher's mound so soft that the cutouts covering them in the football configuration became mushy and uneven. Even when new dirt was shoveled on top, it quickly became just as saturated as the old dirt. The problem was solved by using asphalt hot mix, which allowed for a solid, level playing surface, but required a jackhammer for removal whenever the stadium was converted from football back to baseball (between August and October of each year).
Fans
Fans who attended games in Veterans Stadium for a football game gained a reputation of being among the most vociferous in sports, especially those in the notorious
700 LevelThe 700 Level referred to the seats in the upper deck of Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Usually the most rowdy fans were there, especially at Philadelphia Eagles games and to a lesser extent Philadelphia Phillies games...
, the highest seating level in the stadium prior to the erection of luxury skyboxes behind that seating area. The stadium became famous for the rowdiness of Eagles fans, although it was not the site of the incident in which fans booed
Santa ClausSanta Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
during a
halftime showA halftime show is a performance given between the first and second halves, or the second and third quarters, of a sporting event. Halftime shows are not given for sports with an irregular or indeterminate number of divisions , or for sports that do not have an extended period of stoppage in play...
. (The Santa Claus incident occurred on December 15, 1968 at
Franklin FieldFranklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
, the Eagles' home stadium at the time.)
One of the more well-known examples of the fans' behavior was the
1989The 1989 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in an appearance in the postseason.-NFL Draft:-Regular season:The two matchups between the Cowboys and Eagles were particularly hostile and became known as the Bounty Bowls....
follow-up game to what many called the "
Bounty BowlThe Bounty Bowl was the name given to two notorious NFL games held in 1989 between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia swept the series....
." On Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 1989, the Eagles had beaten the Cowboys at
Texas StadiumTexas Stadium is a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
, 27-0. In that game, former Eagles placekicker
Luis ZendejasLuis Fernando Zendejas is a former American football placekicker. Zendejas played college football for Arizona State University, and was the all-time career leading scorer in the NCAA when he left Arizona State...
suffered a concussion during a rough block by
linebackerA Linebacker is a position in American and Canadian football that was invented by football coach Fielding Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Jessie SmallJessie Small is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for four seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Phoenix Cardinals....
after a kickoff. After the game, Cowboys rookie head coach Jimmy Johnson commented that Eagles coach Buddy Ryan instituted a bounty on Zendejas and Cowboys quarterback
Troy AikmanTroy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, and currently a television sportscaster for the Fox network. He is formerly a joint owner of the NASCAR Sprint Cup racing team, Hall of Fame Racing, along with fellow former...
. Two weeks later, on December 10, they played the rematch dubbed "Bounty Bowl II" at the Vet which the Eagles won 20-10. The stadium seats were covered with snow in the stands. The volatile mix of beer, the "bounty" and the intense hatred for "America's Team" (who were 1–15 that season) led to fans throwing snowballs at Dallas players and coaches. Beer sales were banned after that incident for two games. A similar incident in 1995 at
Giants StadiumGiants Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. It primarily serves as the home stadium for the New York Giants and New York Jets American football teams of the NFL, and the New York Red Bulls soccer team of MLS...
during a nationally telecast
San Diego ChargersThe 1995 San Diego Chargers season began with the team as reigning AFC champions and trying to improve on their 11-5 record in 1994. It ended with a in the first round with a loss to the Indianapolis Colts....
–
New York GiantsThe 1995 New York Giants season was the 71st season for the club in the National Football League. The Giants finished in fourth place in the National Football Conference East Division with a 5–11 record.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
game led the NFL to rule that seating areas must be cleared of snow within a certain time period before kickoff.
The Eagles fans' behavior during a
Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live television broadcast of the National Football League. Originally airing on the ABC network from to , Monday Night Football was the second longest running prime time show on American broadcast network television and one of the highest-rated, particularly among male...
loss to the
San Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team. The team plays its home games in San Francisco, California, while the club's headquarters and practice facility are located in Santa Clara...
in 1997 and a 34-0 loss to Dallas a year later was such that the City of Philadelphia assigned a Municipal Court Judge,
Seamus McCaffreySeamus McCaffery is a Justice on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to his election to the Supreme Court, he was a judge on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and a municipal court judge in Philadelphia...
, to The Vet on game days to deal with fans removed from the stands. Two years later, fans threw
D-Cell batteries at
St. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball...
outfielder J.D. Drew after he spurned the Phillies' offer to play with them, and wound up going back into the draft and picked by the Cardinals.
Famous Games and Incidents
- On June 25, 1971
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 89th season for the franchise in Philadelphia. The Phillies finished in sixth place in the National League East, with a record of 67-95...
, Willie StargellWilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a professional baseball player who played his entire Major League career with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an outfielder and first baseman.Over his 21-year career with the Pirates, he batted .282, with 2,232...
hit the longest home runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring runs for himself and each runner who was already on base, with no errors by the defensive team on the play...
in stadium history in a 14-4 Pirates win. The spot where the ball landed was marked with a yellow star with a black "S" inside a white circle until Stargell's 2001 death, when the white circle was painted black., The star remained until the stadium's 2004 demolition.
- One of the most notable events in the Vet's history was Game 6 of the 1980 World Series
The 1980 World Series matched the Philadelphia Phillies against the Kansas City Royals, with the Phillies winning in six games to capture the first of two World Series titles in franchise history to date. It is remembered for Game 6, which ended with Tug McGraw striking out Willie Wilson at 11:29 p.m...
on Oct. 21. In that game, the Phillies clinched their first world championship with a 4-1 victory over the Kansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
in front of 65,838 fans. Tug McGraw'sFrank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and is the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw...
Series-ending strikeout of the Royals' Willie Wilson was instrumental in their win.
- A very notable football game played at The Vet took place less than three months after the Phillies' title, and was the Eagles' 20–7 victory over the hated Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . They are headquartered in suburban Irving, Texas, which lies between Fort Worth and Dallas...
in the 1980 NFC Championship Game, played on January 11, 1981, in front of 70,696 fans. This contest was famous because the Eagles chose to wear their white jerseys for their home game in order to force the Cowboys into their "unlucky" blue jerseys. At the end of the game, Philadelphia police circled the field with horses and dogs as they had done for the Phillies World Series victory; despite the police presence, Eagles fans successfully rushed the field.
- Veterans Stadium was host to the latest finishing game in baseball history, a twi-night double-header between the Phillies and the Padres that started on July 2, 1993 at 5:05 PM and ended at 4:40 AM the following morning. The two games were interrupted multiple times by rain showers. The Padres won the first game, and led in the second, but lost in a come-from-behind victory for the Phillies in the tenth inning on an RBI single by Phillies closing pitcher Mitch Williams
Mitchell Steven Williams , nicknamed "Wild Thing", is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for six teams from to...
. The second game ended with an estimated 6,000 fans at the ballpark.
- The Phillies clinched the National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series...
at the Vet twice; the first in 1983The National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Phillies...
over area-born Tommy LasordaThomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball pitcher and manager. marks his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin...
and the Los Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. The team is in the Western Division of the National League. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming the Brooklyn...
. The second in the 1993 National League Championship SeriesThe National League Championship Series was played between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. The Phillies stunned the 104-win Braves, who were bidding for their third consecutive World Series appearance, and won the NLCS 4–2.-Background:...
over future divisional rivals the Atlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field....
. The 1993 season was the last LCS with a two-division League format.
- The Phillies pitched two no-hit games at the Vet, the only nine-inning no-hitters in stadium history. Both were against the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California who currently play in the National League West Division. One of the oldest baseball teams, the Giants hold the honor of having won the most games of any team in the history of baseball...
. Terry MulhollandTerence John Mulholland is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He throws left-handed and bats right-handed.-Early and personal life:...
pitched the first on August 15, 1990, in a 6–0 Phillies win. Kevin MillwoodKevin Austin Millwood is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Baseball career:...
pitched the second on April 27, 2003 and beat the Giants 1–0, upstaging the Phillie PhanaticThe Phillie Phanatic is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. A fat furry green creature that somewhat resembles a bird from the rear view with a cylindrical beak containing a tongue that sticks out...
's Birthday promotion that afternoon. The Montréal ExposThe Montreal Expos is the name of a Major League Baseball team that was located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1969 until the end of the 2004 season, when the team was moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Nationals....
' Pascual PérezPascual Gross Perez was a right-handed baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, and New York Yankees....
pitched a five-inning no-hitter shortened by rain on September 24, 1988. MLB changed its rules in 1991 to require that fully-recognized no-hitters - past, present and future - be a complete game of at least nine innings.
- Another game that is best remembered by Eagles fans was known as "The Body Bag Game
The Body Bag Game was a Monday Night Football game that was played on November 12, 1990. During this game, eight Redskins were injured, including starting quarterback Jeff Rutledge and backup Stan Humphries...
," which took place on November 12, 1990, when the Washington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington, D.C. area. The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, which is in Prince George's County, Maryland. The team's headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn, Virginia, a community...
visited The Vet for a Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live television broadcast of the National Football League. Originally airing on the ABC network from to , Monday Night Football was the second longest running prime time show on American broadcast network television and one of the highest-rated, particularly among male...
game. The Eagles' head coach at that time, Buddy RyanJames David "Buddy" Ryan on February 17, 1934) is a former American football coach.-Early years:Buddy Ryan was raised in the tiny cotton community of Frederick, Oklahoma. Ryan played college football for Oklahoma A&M University where he earned four letters as a guard between 1952 and 1955. He...
, was quoted as saying that the Redskins' offense would "have to be carted off in body bags." The Eagles number-one defense scored three touchdowns in a 28–14 win and knocked nine Redskin players out of the game, including both of their quarterbacks. The Redskins were forced to finish the game using running back/returner Brian Mitchell (who would become an Eagles player over a decade later) at quarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center, in the middle of the offensive line. Quarterbacks are the leaders of the offensive team, responsible for calling the play in the huddle...
.
- During the 1998 Army–Navy Game, a serious accident occurred when a support rail collapsed and eight West Point cadets were injured. That led to the call for new stadiums for football and baseball for the main stadium tenants.
Baseball
The Liberty Bell Classic was played at Veterans Stadium from its inception in 1992 through 2003. The Liberty Bell Classic is a Philadelphia Division I college baseball tournament. The original eight schools were the
University of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and is one of several institutions that claims to have been the first university in America...
, University of Delaware,
Saint Joseph'sThe Saint Joseph's Hawks represent the athletic teams at Saint Joseph's University. The Hawks compete in Division I in the NCAA and the Big 5 in Philadelphia. The school also has intramurals and extramurals, the latter of which compete with the City 6 . The school is mostly known for its men's...
,
Drexel UniversityThe Drexel Dragons are the athletic teams of Drexel University.The school's athletic program includes sixteen NCAA Division I sports including eight men's and eight women's teams, with most sports teams competing in the Colonial Athletic Association . Drexel is not a member of the Philadelphia Big...
,
Villanova UniversityThe Villanova Wildcats is the name of the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East Conference for every sport except for football, where they compete in the Colonial Athletic Association .Recently, the Villanova Wildcats were in the Final Four, having defeated fellow...
, Temple University, West Chester University, and
LaSalle UniversityLa Salle University's 23 varsity sports teams, known as the Explorers, compete in the NCAA's Division I and are a member of the Atlantic Ten Conference. The American football team previously played in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League and competed in the Division...
. In the first championship game in 1992, the University of Delaware defeated Villanova 6-2.
The
Eastern LeagueEastern League may refer to:*Eastern League , a professional baseball minor league in the United States*International League, a baseball minor league known as the Eastern League from 1884 to 1912...
Trenton ThunderThe Trenton Thunder are an American Minor League Baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Northern Division of the Eastern League, and are the two-time defending league champions...
played two home games at Veterans Stadium in April 1994. The Thunder beat the
Canton-Akron IndiansThe Canton-Akron Indians are a defunct minor league baseball team. They played in the Eastern League at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton, Ohio from 1989 to 1996...
, 10 to 9, in front of 483 fans on April 20, 1994, and won 9 to 3 on April 21. Future-Phillies-broadcaster
Tom McCarthyTom McCarthy is an American sports broadcaster. Starting in the 2008 season, he is a play-by-play announcer for Philadelphia Phillies television broadcasts...
was in the booth for the Thunder during these two games.
Soccer
Veterans Stadium was the home field for the
NASLNorth American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
Philadelphia AtomsThe Philadelphia Atoms were a soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League . They played from 1973 to 1976, at Veterans Stadium and Franklin Field ....
and
Philadelphia FuryThe Philadelphia Fury was a soccer team based in Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1980. Among the club's investors were rock musicians Rick Wakeman, Peter Frampton and Paul Simon. The team played at Veterans Stadium....
. The Fury drew 18,191 for their opener on April 1, 1978 at the Vet which they lost 3-0 to the
Washington DiplomatsThe name Washington Diplomats was used by three different soccer teams in Washington, D.C.-NASL original team:The original Washington Diplomats first came into being when, in 1974, the North American Soccer League granted a franchise to a Washington, D.C. based business group. The team played...
. The Fury averaged 8,279 per-match in 1978, 5,624 per-match in 1979, and 4,778 in 1980. The club was moved to
MontrealMontreal Manic were a soccer team based out of Montreal that played in the NASL. They played from 1981 to 1983. Their home field was Olympic Stadium...
in 1981.
The stadium hosted an August 2, 1991 exhibition soccer match between the
US National TeamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international football competitions and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. Though soccer has not traditionally had a high profile in American sporting life, the sport has steadily grown in popularity since the 1970s...
and English
professional soccer clubThe Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
Sheffield Wednesday. Sheffield featured
John HarkesJohn Harkes is an American former soccer player. Harkes was the first American ever to play in the English Premier League, and the second American to score at Wembley Stadium. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He appeared in two FIFA World Cup tournaments, and won two MLS Cup...
, the first American to play in the English Premier League. 44,261 fans saw the U.S. score two second-half goals to defeat Sheffield 2 to 0.
Philadelphia established a bid committee to host matches for the
1994 World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from 17 June to 17 July 1994. The United States was chosen as hosts by FIFA in July 1988...
which was to be played in the United States. Phillies president
Bill GilesWilliam Yale Giles is the chairman and part owner of Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies.-Personal:He is the son of former National League president Warren Giles...
was on the Philadelphia bid committee and hoped to use Veterans Stadium for games. In addition to the challenge of installing a natural grass field for the games,
FIFAThe International Federation of Association Football, commonly known by its French acronym, FIFA , is the international governing body of association football. Its headquarters are in Zürich, Switzerland, and its current president is Sepp Blatter...
would have required the Phillies to vacate the stadium for a month to allow for sufficient preparation time prior to the matches. Giles could only offer 17-days. Of the nine venues eventually chosen to host matches, not one was home to a professional baseball club.
High School Football
Veterans Stadium hosted Philadelphia's City Title high school football championship game from 1973 to 1977 and in 1979. The series was suspended in 1980. With the entry of the
Philadelphia Catholic LeagueThe Philadelphia Catholic League is a high school sports league composed of 20 Catholic High Schools in Philadelphia and the surrounding Pennsylvania suburbs. The league itself was founded in the summer of 1920 on the steps of Villanova academy by an Augustinian monk, who would later be known as...
into what is now
PIAAThe Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. is one of the governing bodies of high school and junior high school sports for the state of Pennsylvania, United States....
District XII (which was formed when the
Public LeagueThe Philadelphia Public League traces its origin back to 1901, but the league's history more strictly begins a decade later. Philadelphia sees the league's origins in the 1901 formation of the Philadelphia Interscholastic League, a conference encompassing all the city's high schools, public and...
joined the PIAA in 2002), the "City Title Game" was restored in 2008.
External links
Further Reading